Are Chinese Carbon Wheels Any Good? Are They Safe to Ride?

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I’ve been monitoring the Chinese carbon wheels industry for years and have hands-on experience with wheels from various price ranges and brands, such as YOELEO, Winspace, Farsports, Elitewheels, and more. Based on my experience, I can say that:

Are Chinese Carbon Wheels Worth It?

Yes. Chinese carbon wheels from established manufacturers are worth it because they provide better value for the money than the wheels of traditional brands. Their price varies between $300 and $2000. The sweet spot is around $1000, for which you can buy a high-quality carbon wheelset.

Of course, this does not apply to every manufacturer to the same extent. Even wheels from the same manufacturer can vary in quality (usually depending on the wheelset price).

Based on info from insiders, many Western brands outsource the manufacturing of carbon wheels to China (eventually Taiwan) to one city in particular – Xiamen.

Chinese brands gained a lot of expertise throughout the years of manufacturing for Western brands. As a result, their wheelsets become competitive and comparable with mainstream brands. They often provide the same (sometimes even better) quality as the more expensive wheelsets.

Chinese wheelsets are stiff, durable, well-trued, aerodynamic, and/or lightweight. Some wheelsets are certified and UCI-approved (more about this below). However, as I noted above, this doesn’t apply to every wheelset from China, and you should do the research. Continue reading to find out more, or:

Are Chinese Carbon Wheels Safe to Ride?

Yes. Chinese carbon wheels are safe to ride, especially those branded ones. I’ve also bought a few branded wheelsets from Aliexpress for sub $500, and I didn’t have an issue with them.

You might have heard horror stories about wheel failures. I don’t know anybody who experienced this, but you may indeed encounter smaller, less severe failures. These can include snapped spokes or failed hubs. There is always a small percentage of defective products. This can happen even to wheels from mainstream brands.

The question is:

How to Find Quality Chinese Carbon Wheels?

Below, I summarize a few helpful tips you should consider before buying Chinese carbon wheels, and how to maximize the chance you purchase a quality wheelset you can rely on.

Reviews and Brand Reputation

Reviews of other customers are an important decision factor for me. I try to approach them objectively and unbiasedly. Even if the reviewer is affiliated with a given brand, it doesn’t mean his review is useless and doesn’t bring me any value.

A red flag can be ‘positive only’ reviews. Every product has its flaws. Sometimes, it’s just hard to find them. That’s why I believe Cyclists Hub is a go-to source if you want to learn more. I always write about the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can learn more about how I test wheels here.

If the brand cares about its reputation, it’s a huge green flag. It will do its best to avoid any issues and provide high-quality service. I can recommend several Chinese wheel brands, mainly Elitewheels, Farsports, ICAN, Lún/Winspace, Superteam, and YOELEO.

Certification

Another thing I consider when looking for Chinese carbon wheels is whether they have a 3rd party certification or have passed other safety standards.

For example, the UCI approval is always a good sign, although it doesn’t say that much about the quality but rather about the ambitions to sponsor professional teams. You can find all UCI-approved road bike wheels in this document.

UCI-approved wheels must pass the UCI impact test (and other bureaucratic requirements). You can learn more about it here. Other common safety standards include ISO 4210.

What if the wheels have no certification or are not UCI-approved?
If the wheels don’t have any 3rd party certification or UCI approval, then try to find out more about the testing process of a given manufacturer. A wheelset without these certifications may still be safe to ride, but I recommend you do more research.

Warranty and Crash Replacement

When buying Chinese wheels, you usually get at least a 2-year warranty. Some Chinese manufacturers may offer a more extended warranty period.

However, it’s not just about the warranty length but also how the manufacturer will react to a possible complaint.

I recommend reading the reviews of other customers. Remember that Chinese manufacturers sometimes still have problems with English, so you must be patient and write in simple English.

A great benefit is if a brand offers a crash replacement policy, so if you crash with your wheelset, you get a discount on your next pair.

This is handy, especially when the wheels are expensive, so you don’t have to be afraid to use them in races, for example.

Why not Buy Chinese Carbon Wheels?

When talking to friends about Chinese carbon wheels and why not buy them, I mostly encounter the following arguments:

“What will you do when they break or fail?”
This is a valid argument and probably the biggest downside of Chinese carbon wheels. If the brand doesn’t have a distributor in your country, you will need to discuss eventual claims over email and, eventually, send the wheels to a repair center outside your country.

“Why should I buy wheels from an unknown Chinese brand when I can buy wheels from a mainstream brand?”
Here, it depends on what type of person you are. If you care about your social status among peers, go and buy wheels from a mainstream brand. I don’t care too much about having “the latest and greatest,” so I don’t mind having a product that is the same (but often a better) quality and cheaper but doesn’t bring me the social status.

“The delivery time takes too long.”
Yes, unless you have a local distributor, you will have to wait a few weeks, and you won’t get them by the next day. But some things are worth the wait.

“Chinese wheels have more issues than Western ones.”
This is also partly true, especially if you receive wheels from the first manufacturing batch. Those can have issues of various severity. For example, some parts might not be manufactured to the exact tolerances, leading to failures. Something like this happened to my Superteam All-Carbon Ultra wheels, where the hub failed, and I could not pedal. Superteam sent me a new rear wheel for free.

Conclusion

Chinese carbon wheels from established and reliable manufacturers who test their products and have strict quality control processes are worth it.

They usually provide a better price/quality ratio than wheels from mainstream brands. The only issue you may encounter is claiming a refund if the wheel or its part breaks or fails.

It depends from case to case on what steps the brand takes. It’s often cheaper for the brands to either provide you with a discount on your next order or send replacement parts and, eventually, the entire wheelset.

What is your take on Chinese carbon wheels? Let me know in the comments below. Also, feel free to join my Facebook group, where we discuss everything about Chinese carbon.

Chinese Carbon Wheels FAQ